Well – It’s been WAY too long since my last post. So long that I hardly recognized the pictures of my girls that I last put up. So long that I had to ask wordpress to email me my password because I didn’t remember it. So long that since my last post, I have a daughter ready to go to college and the other is walking, talking and about to drive her first car. Just kidding about some of that :)

Polly is almost 4! She’s really turned into a little girl this summer. She’s getting ready to start school in the next 10 days and is super excited!

Kennedy walks. Talks a little and is absolutely the most precious, spoiled, wonderful 16 month old in the world.

Enter – new family member – Remi. Remi is a 11 month old chocolate lab who has a spirit of adventure. She loves figuring out ways out of the back yard so that she can meet her neighbors. We love her we just wish we could contain her. Perhaps this weekends work in the yard and with the new radio fence will do the trick. Here’s hoping.

I’m not promising to do better – but I do promise to post before 10 more months go by. There’s lots going on and I’m sure you want to know about it.

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Kennedy falls. It’s what happens every time she’s distracted from her extremely focused – effort driven play. I love Fall (not falling). It’s crisp, cool, hosts college football and is great for outdoor photo shoots. I think that nature likes being photographed best in the fall. You couldn’t script a picture like this… you just get lucky. I love pictures like this!And this… Anybody but me just knocked down by the detail in this picture? LOOK AT THAT SKY!!!! And those colors. Yes – Fall is made for outdoor pictures. See what I mean. I swear – on my new camera… I have not edited these in the slightest… LOOK AT THE BLUE! And the light, and green, and brown… it so perfectly offsets Kennedy’s hair and skin tones.

Oh – you weren’t amazed with fall? It was the photos… I see. Well – glad I shared so many. Thanks for putting up with my randomness.

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2 weeks go (it seems so long ago – like it’s been a part of me forever) I became the proud owner of a Canon 60D.

See it? Don’t you think it’s lovely? Don’t you think the light, the quality and the overall perfection of it are just inspiring? Well – it’s because it is inspirational that I have taken over 1000 pictures and some videos since I got it 2 weeks ago. That’s also the reason I haven’t posted in that same amount of time. Who has time to write when there are pictures to take!

Polly. Polly has time to write. She’s been writing constantly these days. She loves little notebooks, pads, pencils, colored pencils and stickers. She leaves me love letters all over the house. I love finding them and seeing what she’s done. She actually can write a few letters and recognizes most of them if you write them for her.

The new camera (aka the third thing I take with me everywhere I go) has a live view mode which allows me to take pictures without actually having to look through the camera. The LCD screen is on a pivot so I can aim in any direction and still see the subject! Such coolness allows me to take accurate self portraits with the cutest, almost 6 month old you’ve seen.

The awesomeness continues with it’s speed and possibilities. Look. It stopped motion and captured Polly in the swing. My old camera would have shown a nice streak that I could have told you was Polly – but this one can prove it!

The high ISO and faster processor make for some incredible shots. Like this. I mean… REALLY. I TOOK THIS and have edited it NONE. I am in love.

What more is there than a sun set sky, a perfect crescent moon and the trees in silhouette. I mean, seriously… Love. That’s why I hold Polly’s hand, carry Kennedy in the baby hawk or stroller and have my camera in my reach at all times. I literally left a conversation mid sentence to go take the above picture. Rude? Maybe. Obsessive? If you want to call it that. Fun? YOU BETCHA!

While I do LOVE my camera, I love who I can capture with it even more. What a guy!

Go Tigers!! Right, Kennedy? :) I love that I could capture her exactly as she looked playing with my pj’s that Saturday morning.

I love that I don’t mind pictures of myself when made with this camera. Normally I am very picky about self portraits and any pictures of me – but look. I think two pics of me in one post is a record.

If you’d saved for 14 months and rolled coins twice, collected Christmas money, birthday money and made countless sacrifices just so you could have the money for the new camera – you’d smile and take your picture in the bathroom mirror too. Don’t judge.

Polly, I said don’t judge! Listen to mama. :)

Kennedy doesn’t judge. She’s too young and enjoys the 1000 photos I’ve taken. She just sits, smiles and allows me to snap away.

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Last one of these – I promise… then we’re back to a more reasonable length. A few weeks ago the girls were in a kids fashion show put on by the Birthing Center at a local hospital. Polly LOVED the idea of it – and the trying on clothes.

Here we are before the line up. I got to walk them both out b/c I had to carry Kennedy. We modeled a fall outfit and a Christmas outfit. Both were cute (the outfits and the girls!)

The other day we took the girls to the park. While we were there Rebecca got a phone call and was told she is now a home owner. WOO HOO Becca!

We practiced our sassy – mad face.

Our cute innocent face. and our curious face…Kennedy has a happy face!Polly found hers!I got creative with flashless late evening photography… I love the pattern and color in her hair as she sleeps in the swing.And I love these curls. The played hard, wind blown look is good for her. GREAT for her.Is this not the cutest, fattest foot you’ve ever seen… and it was NOT the one enjoying the bruster’s treat that night. She missed out entirely. :)I think I am the luckiest mom in the world… Look who I get to spend all my time with! WOW!

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So – in a whirl wind attempt to continue catching you up on the last month and 2 days… here goes Cliffs Notes volume 2.

Polly loves to cook in the big girl room. She’s even taking to wearing her chefs hat. I love that she’s into the ceremony of it all. Proper uniform, polite manners – her tea parties are the best!

Kevin took a day off and we went to Clemson for the afternoon. We saw the First Friday parade, heard the band practice and had ice cream at the Hendrix Center. It was incredible fun sharing my alma mater with my girls. I also want to share that it is WEIRD sharing my alma mater with my girls. I had no idea where the best stroller routes are on campus (word is there are no good ones… too many steps) and I felt OLD. OLD. Like – I didn’t think I was that far removed from student status – and I’m pushing a double with a diaper bag on my back. Dang…. But alas – we had a great time and I’m just aware that I’ve entered a new phase in life. It’s still (and always will be) awesome fun to go to Clemson!

Don’t we look good?Having ice cream!

Waiting on the parade.

All the excitement was more than Kennedy could stand. Polly and I walked to the street for a closer view while Kevin and Kennedy held down our camp.

Kennedy started eating rice cereal. This was a major ceremony for Polly (when she started eating it I mean). Kennedy was less that. Polly and I threw it in the cart in an every day grocery run. No one was here – we just decided to serve it one night when I had bell practice and needed her to eat early and last until bedtime. It was only a few days later that we had Mom here to help and witness the event. That’s when I was able to take a picture.

And the last bit of update is that (probably 2 weeks ago – give or take) Polly got a hair cut! She’s darling with it! Of course – the picture speaks to that.That’s it for today… Gotta run. :) More updates to come.

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There’s no easy way around it. It’s been over a month since I last posted and SOOOOO much has gone on. I could bore you to death with pictures, stories and a 100,000 word post about all we’ve done – but I won’t. I’ll try to post a little a long starting today to try and catch you up. Things probably won’t be in chronological order but you don’t need that do you? Good. :)

Here goes…

Kennedy was baptized! She was the second child in the 5th generation to wear this gown. It was a lovely service at our Morning Song – Contemporary service. She was the first to be baptized in that service (it’s only a year old). It was quite a day! My girls enjoyed an end of summer Curious George marathon during which they relaxed and I took pictures. OH so cute. Them happy, together, peaceful… why was I taking pictures instead of folding laundry? Oh that’s right… because they are so cute – I just have to stare at them in moments like this.

Can you appreciate Polly, Kennedy AND Baby Belle all three enjoying a moment together. Baby Belle is somewhat distracted – but she was into it at the start :) Thank you George!

Before long – it was the day before school started. Papa took us to the orchard to pick apples for Polly’s teachers. Miss C. and Miss L. Of course we picked a few extra for ourselves.

Armed for the first day of school – Polly shows off one of her apples for her teachers. We went back inside and packed our things.

Like a BIG GIRL – we put on our backpack – boasted our pony tail and headed out to school!

After about 5 seconds of shy – Polly fell in love with the idea and bounds through the door every morning now. She climbs on the rocking horse and asks me to take Kennedy home :) I love that she loves school!

Well – that’s your catch-up for the day. I told you – it could be LONG. More to come… who knows when ;)

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Okay – so I can’t believe it’s been since August 19th since I posted anything. What in the world – why has no one called to check on me? I thought you all were my friends. :) We’ve been SUPER busy and have lots to catch you up on… so stay tuned… there’s going to be a flood of info coming your way. Probably starting tonight after the girls go to bed :)

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The girls are really growing up. It seems they’re learning something new every single day. This past week Polly started trying out career opportunities. I don’t know where it will lead her – but so far I think it’s a good start.

And Kennedy started using a computer. Granted – her typing lacks in speed and accuracy – but she contends it’s b/c I won’t let her sit in the walker WITH it.

Hey – it’s what you do when your DVD player died and you have to have Baby Einstein. :) But they sure do grow up fast.

Her eating was good. Her size was okay and we were told that anytime between 5 and 6 months we could start her on solid food. That might boost her weight a little – but perhaps we’ll introduce juice sometime sooner than that. I don’t remember when I started it with Polly… obviously before she ate cereal b/c I mixed it with her cereal instead of milk but put no record of juice on this blog, in her baby book or in her medical file. Nice.

Anyway – that’s what we know of Miss. Kennedy today. Her next appointment is at the end of October when She and Polly will go together for their 6 month and 3 year checkups. I hope to avoid bringing illness home by reducing the exposure in the peds office that time of year :) Dr. M. thought it a good idea as well.

I you’re interested in how they stack up against each other. Here’s the link back to Polly’s 4 month stats. I know they can’t be compared – but what struck me as interesting as I re-read this post was that Polly walked forward in the walker at this age! Kennedy needs to get busy :)